ok Im filming someone who never removes his baseball cap. Lets say it Babe Ruth, someone you expect to see in a baseball cap anyways, and your doing the filming with a high production 3 point lighting look. What do you do to get rid of the shadow under the cap, or as much as possible? I tried once already by lower the fill light to get under the cap but I'm not sure if maybe, next time, I wont use a second fill to point from two directions. Any tricks for this scenero?
How to light for baseball caps?
- Thread starter bwest
- Start date
M49CT
Member
First I'd ask the talent to move the brim of the cap as high as possible. Then I'd make the key light as low and as soft as possible. Third I'd use a bounce card for the fill and place it just below the hat bill line. If they wear glasses too .. you're in big trouble. And if you're shooting Babe Ruth he doesn't need a cap anyway... take it off.
Capt Quirk
Veteran
If you're shooting Babe Ruth, you'll have more problems than his cap casting shadows... but, I agree with the bounce card to light under the bill.
Spartacus
Veteran
Big soft keylight (Softbox, Flo) at eyelevel and relatively near the camera should take care of it, lower the intensity (dimm, ND) and bring it in as close as possible(still use a grid and try to keep the light from lighting the BG too much), use negative fill (black flag/cloth) to modelate a bit (though it won´t do much if the light is very close to the camera axis..) and ad a small rim light for BG separation...
http://www.lightgod.com/store/product.asp?id=3522&catid=345
if you have a budget maybe you can find a solid white fiber optic hat (non colored and not blinking) and then get them to put them in the bottom side of the brim to light the face. Google "fiber optic cap"
if you have a budget maybe you can find a solid white fiber optic hat (non colored and not blinking) and then get them to put them in the bottom side of the brim to light the face. Google "fiber optic cap"
I did my shoot today...turns out I used the lowered key light with the combination of the large bounce card. I practised on myself with a cap till I got it right! I just did a test burn with my talent and all I need to do is turn down some highlights, but it came out great. I shoot with a high pedestal and a strong zebra with a lot of light...but i never blow out. Thanks, the Babe has risen!
Steve Laramie
Veteran
put the fill light above the hat if possible and keep the hat as far from the lights as possible that will illiminate shadows